<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>you’re my everything bagel by emocean_is_trash</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23430655">you’re my everything bagel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/emocean_is_trash/pseuds/emocean_is_trash'>emocean_is_trash</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, bagel au!, blake does too!, lots of fluff with a side of angst, this isn’t cursed i promise, yang owns a bagel shop!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:46:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,365</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23430655</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/emocean_is_trash/pseuds/emocean_is_trash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Yang has been making bagels since she was seven years old. Several years later, she now runs the most popular bagel shop in the small town of Vale. One particularly lackluster afternoon, Yang runs into a gorgeous and witty woman named Blake Belladonna, who has newly moved into town. Not only does Blake buy the building next door; she also opens up a bagel shop of her own. </p>
<p>What started as flirtatious banter turns into full on trash talking as Blake and Yang compete to see who can lure in more customers with their crazy bagel recipes. Who will win? And will their competition ruin any chances of something more?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>91</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hey guys! i’m finally back on the writing scene~ i’ve been waiting excitedly to unveil my new project for the month of april. i’ve planned out 30 days worth of chapters for this AU that i’ve been wanting to do for a while. and today’s the day that i can finally post the first chapter!! </p>
<p>also, i promise that this isn’t an april fools post haha. i actually will be trying to update this fic every day in april. i hope you enjoy!! let me know if you have any comments or feedback, i love hearing from you.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yang stifled a yawn as she grabbed a bundle of keys from her pocket and began to unlock the door, the keys jangling loudly in the process. Once unlocked, she propped it open and trudged inside, turning on the lights soon after. Yang spent the next few minutes washing her hands and cleaning off the wooden countertops in the kitchen. She grabbed her lukewarm coffee that she had bought earlier that morning and chugged the remainder of what was left. The sound of heavy footsteps moving through the building snapped Yang out of her daydreaming state.</p><p>“Sorry I’m late! I forgot to feed Zwei until I was already outside.” Ruby explained as she walked into the back room and hung her coat on the rack, grinning sheepishly at her sister. Yang scoffed in pretend annoyance at her sister’s antics and gave her a small pat on the head.</p><p>“It’s fine Rubes, at least you remembered at all! Plus, opening time isn’t for another hour anyway.” Yang replied cheerily while running a hand through her hair. </p><p>“So, which specials should we do today?” Ruby asked as they continued to prepare the ovens and boiling stations.</p><p>“I was thinking we could do the apple cinnamon, the chocolate chip, and that new recipe I made the other day.”</p><p>“Oh, you mean the one with pizza toppings?”</p><p>Yang nodded in Ruby’s direction as Ruby left the back room to write the daily specials on their small chalkboard. Yang had installed it on the wall right beside the normal menu so that they didn’t have to tell each incoming customer what crazy concoctions were being cooked up that day. </p><p>Several minutes of preparation had passed and Ruby and Yang were ready for the morning rush. Yang propped open the door to the building once again and flipped over the small sign that hung in one of the windows to say “Open!”. She then walked outside and faced back towards her prized possession, just as she did every morning. With her hands resting on her hips and a bright smile on her face, Yang hollered out for the whole world to hear.</p><p>“Everything Bagels and More is now open!”</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>“Rubes, I’m taking my lunch break. Can you handle anyone who comes in?”</p><p>“Yep! Don’t take too long.” Ruby replied cheerily as she started to serve a customer who had just walked into the shop. Yang smiled at her sister and went to the back room, grabbing one of her freshly baked pizza bagels and walking out the front door. She sat on the curb and ate her bagel in silence, taking a moment to appreciate the moments of quiet that were far and few in between.</p><p>Yang was just over halfway finished with eating her lunch when she saw a medium sized U-Haul truck making its way across the street. The truck continued to chug along the road until it came to a stop pretty much right next to Yang. <i>Someone must have bought the building next door</i> Yang thought to herself as she finished chewing the remnants of her bagel and stood up in anticipation.</p><p>Who would walk out of that truck? It could be anyone, really. If anything, Yang just hoped that they would be nice. She’d had her fair share of annoying neighbors who hated her for no reason. Or maybe it would even be a cute girl… Yang chuckled at the thought and felt her cheeks get slightly warmer at her own immaturity. Whoever it was, Yang was going to greet them and be as welcoming as she could. </p><p>What Yang didn’t expect was for the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen to get out of the driver’s seat and walk around to the back of the truck. For a few moments, Yang just stood there silently with her hands in her pockets, unsure of what to say to her new neighbor. When she finally did speak up, the woman jumped at Yang’s voice and turned slowly towards her, the cat ears on top of her head immediately standing straight up.</p><p>“So, are you my new neighbor?”</p><p>“Gods, you scared me.” The woman muttered as she twirled a strand of her hair in her fingers anxiously and slightly fidgeted on the spot.</p><p>“Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to. I’m Yang, I own the building next to you. It’s nice to meet you!” Yang held out her hand for Blake to take, who at first shied away from Yang’s touch. Blake’s eyes flickered onto Yang’s and her cat ears flattened on her hair before she took a deep breath and shook Yang’s hand. Yang's smile curled into a frown for a moment before she went back to her cheery self. </p><p>“Blake. So, Everything Bagels and More huh? That’s not very creative.” Blake remarked with a hint of sarcasm in her tone as she gazed upwards at the shop’s sign. </p><p>“Excuse me, I am personally offended by that statement. It took me weeks to come up with! I pride myself on having the best puns you’ll ever hear.” Yang gasped dramatically while withdrawing her hand and placing it on her chest in mock annoyance. </p><p>“That’s the best you could come up with? You must be really bad with words.” Blake snapped back while stuffing her hands into her pants pockets.</p><p>“Not usually. That only happens when I’m talking to pretty girls.” Yang smirked and winked at Blake, who’s cheeks immediately reddened at Yang’s flirtatious remarks. </p><p>“Smooth.” Blake responded as calmly as possible. The reality was that she was a bit flustered. Usually, those kinds of comments didn’t affect Blake. But for whatever reason, Yang’s words had caught her off guard, especially since Yang’s smile was brighter than the sun itself and her eyes were the prettiest shade of lilac.</p><p>“What can I say? It takes a lot to make me nervous to talk to someone. You sweetheart, are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. So I’m sorry in advance if I get a little tongue tied around you.” Yang answered with pride as she grinned widely at Blake. Okay, maybe it was true that Yang had used that line before when she was flirting with a cute girl. At least this time she actually meant it. Blake was already making a big impact in Yang’s mind; she wanted to know everything about her, even though they’d met just minutes ago.</p><p>“Well Yang, it was great to meet you, but I’ve got some things to do.” Blake stated as she felt her scroll vibrate in her pocket, causing her to flinch and clench her fingers into fists.</p><p>“Wait! Before you go, could I ask for a small favor?” Yang pleaded to Blake, who she really didn’t want to stop talking to, an idea popping into her head. They appeared to get along really well, and that was a huge plus to Yang.</p><p>“Oh? What do you need?” </p><p>“Well, it might seem kinda random but could you take a picture of me in front of the shop? I was planning on posting one to the shop’s Facebook page.” </p><p>“Yeah, okay. Where do you want me to go?”</p><p>For the next few minutes, Yang directed Blake on where to stand while she stood partially off to the right of the shop’s entrance, smiling sweetly towards the camera with her arms crossed in front of her. After Yang was satisfied with the number of pictures Blake took, she walked over to Blake and looked at her scroll, content with how they turned out.</p><p>“Great! Could you send them to me?” </p><p>“Sure. But wait, I don’t have your number.” Blake paused before realizing Yang’s intention.</p><p>“Oh, you’re <i>good</i>. You’re really pulling out all the stops huh?” </p><p>“I’m not normally one to go this far, but you’re clearly an exception. Here, I’ll just text it to myself.” Yang replied as Blake handed her the scroll and Yang put in her contact information.</p><p>“There! My lunch break is up, so hopefully I’ll see you around?” Yang asked hopefully.</p><p>“I don’t think it’ll be that long until we do. I mean, we are next door neighbors. But yeah, see you soon Yang.” Blake answered genuinely. Yang waved to Blake and smiled at her, walking back into her shop and out of sight. Blake shook her hand and smiled to herself at Yang’s antics as she walked to her building and opened the door. </p><p>Little did Blake know the effect that Yang would have on her in the coming months.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yang offers to give Blake a hand with unpacking her things, which leads to a whole bunch of bantering over texts that Blake wasn’t ready for.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i want to warn you in advance for the atrocity that you’re about to read. it made my eyes bleed writing it just as much as it hurts to read it. in my headcanon yang is a terrible texter, and that’s most of what you’ll be getting in today’s chapter :) hope you enjoy as best as you can~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been several hours since Blake had met her energetic neighbor Yang. Blake  had moved all of her boxes into the building and was now lounging about her apartment, wearing the most comfortable pajamas she owned with a cute pair of bunny slippers. It wasn’t the greatest living space, but it was the best that she could do on such short notice. Moving to Vale had been an impulsive decision that Blake made one night when she knew that she needed a change of pace. </p>
<p>Blake had managed to unpack a majority of her belongings over the last week or so, and several of her things laid scattered about her apartment. On the contrary, Blake couldn’t even bring herself to unpack a few particular boxes still left unopened near her front door. There would be too many memories, and too much to think about if she did. Her new building was a completely different story. There would be plenty of time for her to set everything up there, so she wasn’t worried about that in the slightest.</p>
<p>Blake walked into her kitchen to get a refill of her cup of tea, which she had made a bit earlier with her favorite tea pot. After filling up her glass to the brim with the remaining warm liquid left in the pot, she trudged to her living room and plopped down on the couch, picking up a book that was left open on her coffee table and continuing where she had left off. It was one that she had read several times before about a man with two souls. Each and every time she picked it up again Blake found herself enjoying it more than the time before. </p>
<p>Blake was basking in the comfort of silence within her apartment until her scroll vibrated from where it lay abandoned on the table. She flinched at the sound and felt her cat ears immediately perk up. Blake groaned at her jumpiness, taking a few deep breaths to center herself.</p>
<p>
  <i>He’s not here. He can’t contact you. You’re okay.</i>
</p>
<p>Blake whispered affirmations aloud to herself and squeezed her eyes shut while trying to calm her racing heartbeat. It took longer than she had wanted, but Blake was soon feeling much better, determined to pick up her scroll and answer whoever had texted her. When Blake finally did pick up the device from the table and unlock it, she sighed in relief that it was merely a text from Yang. </p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [11:06pm] <i>thot u’d lyk 2 know tht ur pic got 73 lykes ^_^</i></p>
<p>To Yang [11:13pm] <i>Is that so? You must be pretty popular.</i></p>
<p>
  <i>Yang Xiao Long has sent you a link</i>
</p>
<p>Blake opened the link that Yang sent her which led to Yang’s Facebook page for her shop. She gave the photo a like and sent Yang a friend request. After that, she bookmarked the page of her book she was in the middle of and moved it from her lap to the table; she probably wouldn’t be reading it again tonight.</p>
<p>To Yang [11:18pm] <i>Best bagels in all of Vale huh? Are you sure that’s accurate?</i></p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [11:20pm] <i>;-; wow, way 2 hurt a grls feelings</i><br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:21pm] <i>n here i was bein a friendly neighbr</i><br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:21pm] <i>u’ll have 2 try my bagles to no 4 sure ;)</i></p>
<p>To Yang [11:22pm] <i>I’m sure that I’ll end up stopping by at some point.</i></p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [11:24pm] <i>sounds good! :D</i><br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:27pm] <i>i saw tht u have a lot of boxes in ur truck,,,</i><br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:27pm] <i>need a hand unpacking nything?</i></p>
<p>To Yang [11:30pm] <i>I’m okay, I can manage.</i></p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [11:31pm] <i>u sure? i’m prtty strong :&gt;</i></p>
<p>To Yang [11:34pm] <i>Yes Yang, I’m sure. If you’re really that desperate to hang out with me, then why don’t you just say so?</i></p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [11:35pm] <i>ouch!!</i><br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:35pm] <i>u’ve wounded my pride blake!</i><br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:35pm] D:</p>
<p>To Yang [11:37pm] <i>I’m sorry?</i></p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [11:38pm] <i>tis just a joke</i><br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:38pm] <i>u’ll get use 2 it</i><br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:38pm] &lt;3</p>
<p>To Yang [11:41pm] <i>Along with your atrocious texting, of course.</i></p>
<p>Even the word atrocious was an understatement. Blake swore that she could feel a headache coming on with each illegible message that Yang sent her. It was honestly mind-boggling how terrible Yang could type.</p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [11:42pm] <i>yep!!!</i><br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:43pm] <i>btw, how long hve u been here?</i></p>
<p>To Yang [11:44pm] <i>Just over a week. What about you?</i></p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [11:44pm] <i>hmmm</i><br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:45pm] <i>lyk 8 yrs</i> <br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:45pm] <i>moved when i was 16 ^_^</i></p>
<p>To Yang [11:47pm] <i>That’s a long time.</i><br/>To Yang [11:48pm] <i>Well Yang, it’s getting late and I’d like to go to sleep soon. You should consider doing the same.</i></p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [11:51pm] <i>ughhh okay</i><br/>Yang Xiao Long [11:51pm] <i>only cause u say so :)</i></p>
<p>To Yang [11:53pm] <i>Goodnight Yang.</i></p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [11:53pm] <i>gnyt blake! ^_^&lt;3</i></p>
<p>Blake sighed and got up from the couch, bringing her scroll to her bedroom and plugging it in to charge beside her bed. She crawled under the covers after turning off the light and closed her eyes, hoping to get some rest. She tossed and turned restlessly in her bed for a few hours, her mind running rampant.</p>
<p>The only thing that managed to calm her down enough to finally fall asleep was thinking about a certain pair of calming lilac eyes.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! special thanks @Kuroshiro_kun for being my beta reader and listening to me whine all day long. i’d also like to give a special mention to the bumbleby big bang server, who helped give me the confidence to get back out there and keep writing this. i wouldn’t have posted this if it weren’t for you guys &lt;3</p>
<p>if you have any questions or comments you’d like to make, please leave a comment below. i appreciate all feedback and responses~ 💜💛</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Blake shows up as a customer at Yang’s shop and critiques her bagels. Yang doesn’t understand why Blake thinks she has the authority to do so.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>many of you were scarred after reading yesterday’s chapter, so i hope some mutual pining in today’s chapter will make up for it :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Three everything bagels!”</p>
<p>“Coming right up!”</p>
<p>A few days had passed since Yang had encountered Blake for the first time during her lunch break, and the shop was busy as usual. Ruby was always on cash register duty while Yang made the bagels herself. It was a perfect arrangement for the two of them, especially since Ruby couldn’t make bagels at all. Yang had always been much more adept in the kitchen than her sister, which meant that Ruby was constantly begging Yang to bake her some sort of cookies or sweets. Not that Yang minded though.</p>
<p>After placing the three bagels into the oven to bake for a few minutes, Yang stretched her arms upwards and sighed, giving herself a bit of a break before the next customer would waltz in and order even more items than the last. When the timer dinged, signaling that the bagels were ready, Yang whisked the tray out of the oven and placed the bagels into a paper bag, along with some small containers of cream cheese and butter. She expertly folded the top of the bag so that the food would stay warm and glided out to the register, handing Ruby the bag and thanking the customer for their patronage.</p>
<p>“Hey Yang? Penny is calling me, can you handle the store while I’m gone?” Ruby asked pleadingly, giving Yang her signature puppy eyes and fidgeting in place. Yang ruffled her sister’s hair and smiled.</p>
<p>“Of course Rubes, I know you’ve been wanting to talk to her all week.”</p>
<p>“Yeah! She’s finally available now so I have to answer!” Ruby grinned widely and jumped into the air. She pulled her scroll out of her pocket while practically sprinting into the storage room to answer her call. She probably didn’t want Yang to eavesdrop, or maybe it was because the store could get loud at times. </p>
<p>While Yang stood at the register twiddling her thumbs, a new customer walked into the store and Yang straightened, trying not to appear completely bored. She just wanted something interesting to happen, and that’s exactly what occurred when a familiar face walked into the establishment.</p>
<p>“Oh, Blake! I wasn’t expecting you to show up.” Yang smiled warmly. This was a lovely surprise. Yang had been wanting to see Blake again ever since they departed the first time, and today Blake had shown up out of the blue. Blake strode over to the counter in measured steps and placed a hand on her hip, perusing over the menu after approaching.</p>
<p>“Well, I had to see for myself if you really have the best bagels in all of Vale.” Blake casually replied while continuing to see what Yang offered to order. When her eyes finally glanced over the specials board, Blake unexpectedly snorted and then covered her mouth in embarrassment, her cat ears flattening against her scalp at the same time.</p>
<p>“You’re telling me that you actually sell a rainbow bagel here?” </p>
<p>Yang chuckled at Blake’s comment and gestured with her right arm to the menu and back wall. When Yang did so, Blake noticed a large discolored patch of skin that seemed very out of place, due to the fact that Yang was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans. She would have to ask Yang about that later. </p>
<p>“Of course we do! This is probably the gayest bagel shop in existence, courtesy of myself.” Yang grinned while placing her hands on the counter and leaning slightly forward, her nose almost touching Blake’s.</p>
<p>“So, have you decided what you want?” Yang whispered in a low tone which made Blake’s breath hitch. She could practically feel Yang’s warm breath on her face, and it immediately made her cheeks heat up.</p>
<p><i>‘I want you’</i> Blake almost caught herself saying before she realized what exactly she had been about to admit. Rampant thoughts of denial and disappointment raced through her head on how she was acting. </p>
<p>No guy or girl had ever been able to fluster Blake like this, but Yang was making Blake feel like all she could ever want were Yang’s lilac eyes and adorable freckles, which Blake had now noticed since they were standing so close to each other. </p>
<p>The worst part about it was that Blake almost never let anyone in her personal space, especially not after what had happened to her so recently. Yet with Yang, Blake hadn’t seemed to mind it at all. If anything, she wanted to get even closer to her, to take in every single detail of Yang’s face and figure to remember for later.</p>
<p>“I’ll uh, get the plain bagel.” Blake gulped and pinched at her forearm while keeping her eyes trained on Yang’s, who was now grinning and no longer leaning against the counter. </p>
<p>Blake already thought that Yang was gorgeous, but seeing Yang’s smile again caused her cheeks to redden. Blake looked away for a moment and decided that the floor was more interesting to stare at.</p>
<p>“Coming right up!” Yang replied with a wink which made Blake shake her head and pinch at her arm again. While Yang was in the kitchen making the bagel, Blake wondered how Yang’s recipe would taste. After all, the only true way to know if someone is good at making bagels is how their plain bagel tastes. That way, toppings and other conflicting flavors can’t cover up any mistakes.</p>
<p>Yang appeared out of the kitchen a few minutes later with a paper bag that said Blake’s name written on it, along with a smiley face. </p>
<p>“Here ya go! Hope you enjoy! This one’s on the house.” Yang cheerily voiced as she rubbed the back of her neck anxiously in anticipation. She held out the bag for Blake to take, who opened it and removed the bagel. Blake grabbed a napkin and set it down on the counter, spreading on the cream cheese evenly with a provided plastic knife. She then raised it to her lips and took a small bite, testing the mouthfeel and texture of the breading. </p>
<p>It was very soft yet smooth at the same time, and the flavor of the bagel itself wasn’t bitter at all. The homemade cream cheese paired really well with Yang’s recipe and went down Blake’s throat smoothly. It was overall a really great bagel, definitely one of the better ones she’d had. But then again, they weren’t perfect, like her own recipe. Even if the bagel was very good, Blake couldn’t help but give Yang a bit of a hard time. Yang wasn’t the only one who got to do all the teasing.</p>
<p>“It’s not terrible.”</p>
<p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Yang questioned with her arms crossed, clearly upset that she hadn’t impressed Blake.</p>
<p>“I didn’t think that the best bagel in all of Vale would be dry.” Blake snarked back with a small smile on her face. Blake hadn’t felt this confident in a while, so she was going to use it to her advantage.</p>
<p>“What gives you the right to judge my bagels?” Yang muttered as she walked out from around the counter and stood right next to Blake, facing her.</p>
<p>“You know...” Blake started as she dragged a finger down Yang’s shirt while her lips curled into a smirk. “You’re pretty cute when you’re angry.”</p>
<p>Yang’s jaw went slack while a bright blush covered her face and neck. After a few moments, she finally closed her mouth and crossed her arms defensively.</p>
<p>“Sh-Shut up!” Yang stammered while pouting, Blake clearly having won the war. </p>
<p>“Anyway, I have some things to take care of before tomorrow. I’ll see you around.” Blake walked away suddenly, leaving a stunned Yang in the shop. Soon after Blake left, Ruby ran back from the storage room to the counter.</p>
<p>“Sorry that took so long. Are you okay? You seem off.”</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah Rubes, I’m fine.”</p>
<p>If only Yang knew what would be in store for her so soon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! special thanks @Kuroshiro_kun for being my beta reader and listening to me complain endlessly. i’d also like to give a special mention to the bumbleby big bang server, who helped give me the confidence to get back out there and keep writing this. i wouldn’t have posted this if it weren’t for you guys &lt;3</p>
<p>if you have any questions or comments you’d like to make, please leave a comment below. i appreciate all feedback and responses~ 💜💛</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Blake hangs a banner on her newly bought building which Yang finally sees the next morning. Yang questions Blake about this to clarify what just happened. She later does research on who Blake Belladonna really is.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>aaaaaand the rivalry begins! i apologize for the shorter chapter length today, this chapter was kind of meant to be a stepping stone for what’s going to be the bulk of the story starting tomorrow. either way, i hope you enjoy! </p>
<p>also, thank you so much for all of the positive comments and feedback, reading your comments always make my day &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re telling me that you decided to buy the building next to mine to open a bagel shop?” Yang asked frustratingly with her arms crossed, a few inches separating her and Blake. Blake shrugged nonchalantly and stared up at Yang’s angered expression with a gleam in her eyes.</p>
<p>“How was I supposed to know that there would be a bagel shop next door? They don’t exactly tell you those kinds of things on real estate websites.”</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>Yang had woken up the next morning and driven to work with Ruby in tow, humming along to her favorite songs and in an overall pleasant mood. It was Friday, which meant that Yang would finally have some time to herself to do whatever she wanted after work. </p>
<p>When she pulled into her personal parking spot in front of her bagel shop, Yang noticed that there was a white banner hanging on the front of Blake’s building. While Ruby ran to unlock their bagel shop, she gingerly walked closer to Blake’s building to get a better look. When she finally read what the banner said, Yang felt the color drain from her face.</p>
<p>Belladonna’s Bagels, grand opening!</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>And that’s what had led Blake and Yang into the current situation they were in. Yang saw Blake walking into her shop and stopped her in confusion. Now, the two of them were trying to clear up this odd predicament.</p>
<p>“You never thought to, I don’t know, check out the place you’d be buying from?” </p>
<p>“It’s not that simple, Yang. I moved here because I needed to. I don’t owe you an explanation.” Blake replied in annoyance as she pinched at her arm a few times and her cat ears pinned fully upwards. Yang could feel the anxiety rolling off of Blake and decided to take a few steps back, giving Blake some space and trying to appear less angry.</p>
<p>“Look, I understand where you’re coming from. My choice to live in Vale wasn’t exactly planned either. I’m just wondering how something as weird as this even happens.” Yang sighed as she rubbed at the back of her neck sheepishly. Blake stepped closer and looked Yang in the eyes with a calm expression.</p>
<p>“I think you’re just scared because my bagels are going to be more popular than yours.” Blake retorted with a smirk on her face. Yang chuckled to herself and pointed a finger at Blake’s chest, looking intensely at her face.</p>
<p>“What? No way. I have the best bagels in all of Vale. You of all people should know that.”</p>
<p>“You did. Then I showed up.”  </p>
<p>“Oh, it’s on Belladonna.” Yang smirked and crossed her arms, finally leaving Blake be and going into work.</p>
<p>“What was that about?” Ruby asked Yang, who still appeared a bit heated.</p>
<p>“If Blake thinks that she can just open a bagel shop next to ours, then she has no idea what’s coming for her.” </p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>
  <i>‘Now who exactly is Blake Belladonna?’</i>
</p>
<p>It was after her work day had finished and Yang had gone home in a sour mood. She was now on her computer, more specifically Facebook, and searching for Blake’s name. She clicked on the first profile that opened up and found a pretty empty account, with hardly any pictures and no updates within the last year. </p>
<p>From what Yang gathered with the limited information given, Blake was from the island of Menagerie, she was also 24 years old, and she often hung out with a guy named Sun and a girl named Ilia. Her updates seemed to cease to exist at a certain point and hadn’t returned, which Yang was puzzled about. She seemed to have been updating frequently in the first few months that she had the account, but then she totally dropped off of the face of the earth. </p>
<p>Even if Yang didn’t really know much about Blake Belladonna, all she wanted more than anything was to prove her wrong. She would make the better bagels, and Blake would be left behind in the dust.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! special thanks @Kuroshiro_kun for being my beta reader and hearing me go on and on about everything and nothing. i’d also like to give a special mention to the bumbleby big bang server, who helped give me the confidence to get back out there and keep writing this. i wouldn’t have posted this if it weren’t for you guys &lt;3</p>
<p>if you have any questions or comments you’d like to make, please leave a comment below. i appreciate all feedback and responses~ 💜💛</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yang heads into Blake’s shop on the day it opens and decides to sample her products. She ends up unpleasantly surprised. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, an exhausted Weiss gives Yang a call when she thinks that she’s seeing double.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>today’s chapter was a ton of fun to write, i really enjoyed adding a few new characters into the mix, and i hope i wrote them in-character enough. things are about to heat up between blake and yang, and even i’m not ready for it~ </p>
<p>hope you enjoy! 💜</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey Rubes? Could you set up shop by yourself this morning? I’m gonna go check out the competition.”</p>
<p>“Oh! Uh yeah sure. Could I ask you something though?” Ruby scratched at the back of her head and smiled sheepishly.</p>
<p>“Go for it.” Yang replied while continuing to drive to their bagel shop.</p>
<p>“How do you know the owner of the other bagel place so well?” </p>
<p>“Oh, well that’s a long story. Alright, we’re here. I’ll come help in a bit.” Yang cut her train of speech off and hopped out of the car, while Ruby looked at her with concern. Shaking her head, Ruby smiled and went inside her shop and started getting ready, leaving Yang outside by herself.</p>
<p>Her plan was to go into Blake’s bagel shop when it opened and sample a plain bagel from her, just as Blake had done the day before. It was genius; there was no way that Blake’s bagels could really be superior to hers. Yang had faith in her abilities. </p>
<p>Seeing that it was finally 7:00am, Yang opened her scroll and checked how she looked. She was wearing a dark washed jean jacket and a striped T-shirt with jeans and converse. Satisfied with what she saw, Yang placed her scroll in her jacket pocket and walked straight over to Blake’s shop, opening the door as a jingle could be heard from doing such. A woman with red hair who Yang recognized as Ilia was at their ordering counter, while Blake was nowhere to be found. Smiling, Yang strutted up to the counter and looked over the menu, as if she hadn’t already decided what she wanted. </p>
<p>“Hi, welcome to Belladonna’s Bagels. What can I get for you?” Ilia asked with a smile on her face.</p>
<p>“Is Blake here?” Yang asked nonchalantly while twiddling her thumbs in her jacket pockets. Ilia sighed and nodded before turning around and walking a bit closer to their kitchen.</p>
<p>“Blake, Yang is here.” Ilia rolled her eyes as she reapproached Yang purposefully.</p>
<p>“Blake has told me a lot about you.”</p>
<p>“Oh really? I wouldn’t have guessed. I mean after yesterday, it seemed like she <i>really</i> hated me.” Yang answered sarcastically while twirling a curly strand of her hair near her face. Ilia walked back again to the kitchen and said something that Yang couldn’t hear and then Blake walked out, looking as beautiful as usual.</p>
<p>“Well that didn’t take long. Did you really miss me that much?” Blake asked with her hands on her hips, leaning slightly forward into Yang’s personal space. Yang laughed and crossed her arms.</p>
<p>“Of course not. I’m here as an actual customer.”</p>
<p>“What would you like then?”</p>
<p>“Hmm…” Yang pretended to contemplate while putting a finger to her chin. “I’ll get… a plain bagel.” Yang said with the biggest shit eating grin she could manage. Blake groaned and mumbled “coming right up” before disappearing into the kitchen. She returned just two minutes later with what Yang had requested, an annoyed expression accompanied by her cat ears being pinned fully upward. </p>
<p>“I had a feeling you’d come in here to try and pull the same thing I did. Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. You might be thoroughly disappointed. Our bagels will make yours taste like dirt.” Blake gritted her teeth and smiled, waiting for Yang to try her bagel. </p>
<p>“I’ll believe you when I try it and I don’t get sick from how bland it’ll be.” Yang snapped back while preparing the bagel to be eaten. When she finally took a large bite, Yang immediately perked up before replacing it with a neutral face. How did she get that sweet flavor in a plain bagel? Oh no, Blake’s bagels were actually good. As Yang continued to chew the bite, she realized that Blake’s bagels were not just good, they were better than hers. She swallowed and looked determinedly at Blake, who stood there with a huge smirk.</p>
<p>“Listen, this is pretty good, I’ll give you that. But I wish you luck on drawing in enough customers to stay open. Many of my regulars have been going to me for years.” Yang stated proudly and took another bite of the bagel. It really was good enough that Yang would admit defeat, but Yang’s competitive nature would keep her strong and motivated until the end.</p>
<p>“I <i>never</i> back down from a challenge. Although I’m pretty sure that this isn’t really a challenge for me. Good luck to you as well, you’re going to be making a lot less money this month.” Blake responded as she waved her hand for Yang to leave. Another customer was there and looking nervously at Yang, who laughed and left the shop.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>Yang was in the midst of making a new batch of blueberry bagels when she heard her scroll vibrate in her jacket pocket. Setting down the sectioned off dough, Yang fished the scroll out of her pocket and answered it.</p>
<p>“Hey, Yang.”</p>
<p>“Oh, Weiss! How was visiting your family? Are you doing okay?” Yang grinned genuinely at her friend finally being back from her trip today, which she had totally forgotten about with all of this bagel drama.</p>
<p>“I just spent seven days in the presence of my father unwillingly, how do you think it went? Anyway, that’s beside the point. The reason I called is because I can’t tell if I’m going crazy from a lack of sleep, or there’s two bagel shops here now.”</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah there are. This girl moved in here like a week ago and opened one next to me. She had no idea that I already had a bagel shop here. I can start making your order right now if you’d like.” Yang recalled and began to do so while still on the call. Weiss sounded exhausted by the past week’s events. </p>
<p>“Yes, that would be great. See you soon.” Weiss hung up the call and Yang got to work, making sure that Weiss’s order would be absolutely perfect. When Weiss entered the shop, Yang could hear Ruby call out her name, and she was probably running over to her and giving her a big hug. Weiss clearly squeaked at the contact and then hugged Ruby back. </p>
<p>Yang appeared a few minutes later with her order ready for Weiss; a cinnamon raisin bagel with a sugar cookie that Yang left as a surprise in the bag. She had made them earlier that morning for Ruby and Yang knew that Weiss loved them as well, so why not give her a treat for being a good friend?</p>
<p>“Thank you so much for this Yang, I...really appreciate it.” Weiss admitted as Ruby stayed glued to her side.</p>
<p>“Of course Weiss! Only the best for my best friend!” Ruby replied before Yang could speak and wrapped her arm around Weiss’s shoulders. </p>
<p>“Oh stop it, you dolt. I’m glad to see you too.” Weiss said as a small smile appeared on her face and she took the bag from Yang, opening it up and eating right there in the shop. </p>
<p>The three of them continued to relax and catch up on what they’d been up to over the last week. Weiss was informed of Blake’s existence and Ruby told Weiss about getting to call Penny. The three of them had a great time together.</p>
<p>It was a nice distraction before the chaos that was about to ensue.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! special thanks @Kuroshiro_kun for being my beta reader and dealing with my constant complaints. i’d also like to give a special mention to the bumbleby big bang server, who helped give me the confidence to get back out there and keep writing this. i wouldn’t have posted this if it weren’t for you guys &lt;3</p>
<p>if you have any questions or comments you’d like to make, please leave a comment below. i appreciate all feedback and responses~ 💜💛</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Customers have been flooding to Blake’s bagel shop ever since it opened, so much so that Yang is starting to lose customers. With the sudden competitive nature arising between Blake and Yang, Yang decides to use this sudden burst of creativity to come up with a new bagel creation.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this is going to be another short chapter which is unfortunate. but i promise that things will pick up the pace in a few days. yang’s a bit of a clutz in this chapter, which honestly isn’t that surprising. but anyway, hope you enjoy! :)</p>
<p>i also wanted to let you guys know that my daily upload time is now going to be typically a few hours later than it was in the past due to some schedule changes. i’ll still try to update every day, and any extra info on that will be posted on my tumblr @emocean-is-trash</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey Rubes? The kitchen might smell like bananas for a few days…”</p>
<p>“Yang, what did you do now?” Ruby hollered dramatically as she sprinted back towards the kitchen in mock annoyance.</p>
<p>“I didn’t think that they would explode in the oven!” Yang replied while raising her hands in the air and feigning guilt.</p>
<p>“I’m not even going to ask.” Ruby shook her head and trudged back to the front of the shop.</p>
<p>Yang jumped back in surprise when her experimental banana bagels exploded all over the inside of the oven. She sighed while grabbing a bunch of paper towels and dishrags and began to clean the entirety of the machine until it was spotless. This wasn’t an unusual occurrence in the slightest. Yang had a tendency to try and make new bagel recipes when there was a lack of customers in the shop. Today was one of those days.</p>
<p>Ever since Blake’s bagel shop had opened two weeks ago, customers have been flooding to her place rather than Yang’s. At this point, a good handful of Yang’s regulars had even switched to Blake’s shop instead. Those occasional hours of hardly any orders were starting to become more and more frequent now that Blake was around. </p>
<p>At first, it made Yang pretty upset that all of her hard work was now going to waste. But after a few days of moping, Yang’s competitive nature took over and she decided to take these moments in stride. At every free chance she could, Yang was tinkering with possible new recipes for the menu. Today’s trial and errors were centered around banana bagels, and with how the oven reacted to their presence, they were definitely another failure.</p>
<p>Wiping the sweat off of her forehead with a paper towel, Yang got back to work with trying something else. Nothing had really clicked yet, but she was determined that she could make something great. After a few more minutes of pondering and searching for what to do next, Yang snapped her fingers as an idea popped into her head. </p>
<p>Yang grabbed a batch of leftover plain dough that was sitting in a mixing bowl and grabbed a blender. She added a handful of coffee beans to the blender and crushed them into extremely small pieces. She then added the ground up coffee beans to the dough mixture and mixed them in. After forming six bagels, boiling them, and baking them, Yang pulled them out of the oven to taste. </p>
<p>It took a few minutes to cool off, but eventually Yang bit into the bagel. She was met with a rich coffee tasting bread, one that wasn’t too bitter to be consumed. It was perfect. All she would need to take it to the next level was to add a light layer of sweet cream cheese. After cleaning up from the rest of her experiments, Yang rushed out to where Ruby was absentmindedly poking at the register and held the bagel out for her to try.</p>
<p>“I think this one could be a real winner. What do you think?” Yang asked while waiting nervously for Ruby’s opinion. Ruby took a bite and immediately smiled, giving her sister a thumbs up while trying to finish chewing the bagel.</p>
<p>“It’s really good! I think people will really like it!” </p>
<p>“That’s awesome. Let’s put it on the menu tomorrow and see what they think.”</p>
<p>“Okay! But only if you promise to bake me a batch of chocolate chip cookies.” Ruby begged with a pleading look on her face.</p>
<p>“Of course Ruby, I was going to do that anyway.” Yang smiled and patted her sister on the top of her head.</p>
<p>“Yay! You’re the best sister ever Yang!” Ruby jumped around while hugging Yang tightly. Yang chuckled and hugged her sister back, truly happy to be able to spend so much time with her. </p>
<p>All they had to do now was see how tomorrow would go.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! special thanks to @Kuroshiro_kun for being my beta reader and dealing with my random questions. i’d also like to give a special mention to the bumbleby big bang server, who helped give me the confidence to get back out there and keep writing this. i wouldn’t have posted this if it weren’t for you guys &lt;3</p>
<p>if you have any questions or comments you’d like to make, please leave a comment below. i appreciate all feedback and responses~ 💜💛</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Yang’s new bagel recipe attracts more customers to her shop than Blake’s, Blake feels a revengeful streak coming on. She decides that it’s in her best interest to do some experimenting of her own, all the while Ruby asks Yang about Blake.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hey guys! today’s chapter was really entertaining to plan for and write out. i love yang and ruby’s sister dynamic a lot and it’s unfortunately often neglected in this fandom. you’ll be treated to that in today’s upload along with blake doing some plotting against her rival. hope you enjoy! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Yang! We’ve already made double the amount of money we did yesterday!” Ruby gleefully cheered as she wrapped an arm around Yang and grinned.</p>
<p>“I’d take it that the new bagel is a success then?” Yang sarcastically remarked and was rewarded with a pinch to her side. </p>
<p>“Hey! What was that for?”</p>
<p>“Just keeping you on your toes.” Ruby joked as she stuck her tongue out and took another bite of her sandwich and chewed obnoxiously. The two of them were sitting side by side and taking a well deserved lunch break together. They chatted openly about anything that came to mind while eating some sandwiches that Yang made. Ruby swallowed her bite and took a large gulp from her cup of water before breaking the silence.</p>
<p>“So, how do you know Blake?”</p>
<p>Yang almost choked on her own lunch and stared at Ruby in bewilderment, who shrugged and smiled cheekily with an eyebrow quirked. </p>
<p>“What? You clearly have some kind of history with her or something.” Ruby responded while taking another bite of her lunch. Yang sighed and nodded in acceptance. She was going to tell her sister eventually, so she may as well get it over with now.</p>
<p>“Okay fine, you’re sort of right. I met her like two weeks ago during my lunch break. She pulled up next door with a moving truck and I wanted to be a friendly neighbor. I might’ve...asked her for her number. I mean can you really blame me? She’s like the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen!” Yang continued to ramble about how perfect Blake was, all the while Ruby was shaking her head in disapproval. </p>
<p>“You asked out our competition?” Ruby asked almost in disbelief, interrupting her sister’s sentence. Yang stammered as her cheeks reddened in embarrassment and tried to come up with a good enough reason for Ruby to be satisfied with.</p>
<p>“If I’d known that at the time, I would’ve been more careful! Plus I don’t think that really matters anymore. The only reason she texts me now is to roast me or something like that.” Yang explained while recalling some of the trash talking her and Blake had exchanged. </p>
<p>Blake had more of a spark than Yang had originally given her credit for, which meant that Yang could dish insults right back at her without feeling remorseful. It was honestly pretty entertaining trying to one up Blake all the time, especially since it really seemed to piss her off that Yang could think up new comebacks on the fly.</p>
<p>“Well that’s good at least. We must remain vigilant around the enemy!” Ruby shouted and saluted to Yang while finishing her sandwich. Yang giggled and forced her sister into a fake headlock.</p>
<p>“You’re such a dork Rubes.”</p>
<p>“I know, now let go of me!” Ruby shrieked as Yang began to tickle her, fingers running up and down her sides.</p>
<p>“Yang! St-Stop that!” Ruby choked out between giggles as tears ran down her face and her body shook with laughter. </p>
<p>“Never!”</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>Yang and Ruby continued to joke around, while at the same time Blake was pacing back and forth in her kitchen, deep in thought. Many of her customers had failed to show up today, and Blake was trying to figure out why. Her cat ears stayed flattened on her scalp while she pinched at her forearm and continued to pace until Ilia walked into the room and snapped her fingers to get Blake’s attention.</p>
<p>“You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if Yang pulled something.”</p>
<p>“What makes you think that? You don’t even know her.” Blake asked curiously while her cat ears stood tall.</p>
<p>“I know enough,” Ilia joked while walking over to Blake and placing a hand on her shoulder. “Plus, she seems like the competitive type.”</p>
<p>“Well, you’re not wrong.” Blake admitted while pinching at her arm for the hundredth time that day. Ilia smiled genuinely and gasped as an idea came to mind, her eyes taking on a dark purple shade as she clasped her hands together. This specific color of Ilia’s eyes and her current actions usually alluded to her being in a mischievous mood.</p>
<p>“Why don’t we get her back?”</p>
<p>“What? How?” Blake asked, puzzled as to how exactly they would get revenge on her.</p>
<p>“She probably made some special new bagel for her menu. What if... we did the same?”</p>
<p>“Hmm, I like where this is going.” Blake contemplated while placing a hand on her hip and resuming her pacing.</p>
<p>“Gods know that you’re much more talented than her. I’m positive that you could easily make something better.” Ilia schemed while grinning at Blake. Blake approached Ilia and faced her silently for a few moments before nodding.</p>
<p>“Let’s do it.” Blake and Ilia high-fived swiftly before getting to work. </p>
<p>Blake smirked to herself at the thought of Yang losing to her again.</p>
<p>She was certain that she had this in the bag.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! special thanks to @Kuroshiro_kun for being my beta reader and constantly giving me tons of extra ideas to work with. i’d also like to give a special mention to the bumbleby big bang server, who helped give me the confidence to get back out there and keep writing this. i wouldn’t have posted this if it weren’t for you guys &lt;3</p>
<p>if you have any questions or comments you’d like to make, please leave a comment below. you can also follow me on tumblr @emocean-is-trash 😄 i appreciate all feedback and responses~ 💜💛</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Even with their constant bantering, Blake begins to trust Yang more than she’d originally expected. She reveals a bit of information about herself, and Yang does the same.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello! today’s chapter is pretty dialogue heavy, so it’s on the shorter side. blake and yang are learning more about each other, and with that comes even more useless fighting. hope you enjoy! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m taking a break to eat. I’ll be back in 10.”</p>
<p>“Alright. Don’t feel the need to rush, I can handle things while you’re gone.”</p>
<p>“Thanks Ilia.” Blake responded with a small smile on her face as she stepped outside her shop for some fresh air. Her new bagel creation had been extremely popular among the customers that were now piling into her shop once again. There were few windows of breaks during the day, so Blake took advantage of the current lack of customers to spend some time outside calming her nerves. As much as Blake loved being such a successful business owner, large waves of people always began to stress her out after so long. </p>
<p>Blake sat down on the curb in front of her shop and started to eat her lunch while staring at the scenery around her. Vale was a quaint town filled with warm and kind-hearted people who came together to form a loving and supportive community. The streets were lined with small shops, recreational places, and plenty of nature such as trees and flowerbeds. </p>
<p>As Blake continued to take in the surrounding nature, she picked up on some shouting coming from inside Yang’s shop until Yang happened to walk out, laughing at what someone said to her and sauntering towards the curb. A few moments later, she realized that Blake was sitting outside as well after Blake cleared her throat and began to stare annoyedly at her. Yang grinned and moved to sit next to Blake, who rolled her eyes and scowled. Yang was the absolute last person she wanted to see right now.</p>
<p>“Hey Blake! I didn’t know that you took your lunch break outside.” Yang stated with a raised eyebrow and a small smile on her face.</p>
<p>“So you’re saying that you leave your shop unattended? That’s extremely unprofessional Yang.” Blake snarked as she took a bite of her food and swallowed when Yang started to look at her quizzically.</p>
<p>“Oh, did I not tell you? My sister Ruby and I both run the shop together. She talks to the customers while I handle the baking.” Yang winked while scratching at the back of her neck. They were sitting close enough together that Blake could see the freckles that dusted Yang’s cheeks and her eyelashes that slowly fluttered when she blinked. Well whatever, Blake wouldn’t be distracted by something so unimportant anymore. She had a business to run and maintain, and an unspoken competition to win.</p>
<p>“You kinda seem like an only child. Am I right?” Yang asked after a few minutes of very tense silence passed between them.</p>
<p>“What makes you think that?” Blake crossed her arms and scrunched her eyebrows together.</p>
<p>“Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I’ve just been told that I can read people pretty well.” Yang smiled nervously and placed her hands on her chest defensively.</p>
<p>“Well if you so badly want to know, your assumptions are correct. I’m the only child that my parents have.” Blake sighed and continued to eat her lunch.</p>
<p>“You know, they’re very lucky to have a daughter who grew up to be so successful.” Yang replied while moving to wrap an arm around Blake’s shoulders. Blake immediately shied away from the touch and flinched at the implication. </p>
<p>“They used to think that a long time ago, but things change.” Blake replied monotonously with a neutral facial expression. Yang’s lip curled into a frown and her eyebrows scrunched together while deep in thought. She replaced the serious look on her face with one that portrayed equal amounts of sadness and anger. Yang turned to face Blake and gazed at her intensely.</p>
<p>“Did something happen?”</p>
<p>“What? No! Ugh, I don’t even know why I’m telling you all of this.” Blake snarled as she gritted her teeth and stood up suddenly. Her cat ears flattened against her scalp as she turned and marched back into her shop. </p>
<p>Yang sighed and rubbed at her temples. She had pushed Blake too far and was now facing the repercussions of her actions. As Yang finished up her lunch, she sat in silence and replayed through her recent conversation in her head. Blake had definitely been hurt in some way. If only Yang knew more.</p>
<p>
  <i>‘Blake...What happened to you?’</i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! special thanks to @Kuroshiro_kun for being my beta reader and hearing me ramble about the bees nonstop. i’d also like to give a special mention to the bumbleby big bang server, who helped give me the confidence to get back out there and keep writing this. i wouldn’t have posted this if it weren’t for you guys &lt;3</p>
<p>if you have any questions or comments you’d like to make, please leave a comment below. you can also follow me on tumblr @emocean-is-trash 😄 i appreciate all feedback and responses~ 💜💛</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Blake’s business is legitimately thriving. On the other hand, Yang struggles after a recent addition to her menu is not taken well by customers.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>okay, i’ll admit that this chapter got WAY out of hand. it wasn’t meant to be all angst, i swear! 😓 i originally planned for it to have no angst whatsoever, yet here we are. i’m giving you all permission to yell at me in the comments haha. get ready for some emotional dialogue exchanges between ruby and yang. anyway, hope you enjoy 😬</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yang groaned as she recounted their profits for the fourth time. Her hands covered her face in frustration as she was once again met with the realization that their intake of customers was down by over fifty percent. </p>
<p>Ruby stood silently in the doorway of the break room with a concerned look on her face. Yang was clearly dealing with much more than just their business. During times when they were financially struggling, Yang would usually perk right up and find some way to attract more customers. It was one of the most admirable qualities of her big sister. But seeing Yang like this only made her worried. Ruby moved over to where Yang was sitting at the table and placed a hand on her back, which caused Yang to turn and look at Ruby.</p>
<p>“Yang, you know you can tell me what’s wrong right?”</p>
<p>Yang shook her head and sighed deeply. </p>
<p>“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”</p>
<p>Ruby’s eyes widened as she tried to process how distant her sister sounded, and the fact that it was directed towards her.</p>
<p>“Yang...please. I can be the big sister for once. You don’t have to be so strong all the time.” Ruby pleaded as she squeezed Yang’s shoulder slightly. Yang brushed it off and stood up, clenching her teeth with only a few inches separating her and Ruby. </p>
<p>“I don’t have the <i>luxury</i> to be weak, I have a business to run! Don’t you understand that?” Yang yelled as her eyes changed to a bright red color in impulsive anger. She squeezed her fists at her sides and stared intensely at her sister.</p>
<p>“Yang…” Ruby whimpered as tears formed in her eyes. Despite the fact that she was trembling and desperately trying to hold back her tears, Ruby held her ground and stared back at Yang just as seriously. Yang finally closed her eyes when she realized what she had been doing and took a few deep breaths to calm herself.</p>
<p>“Rubes, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” Yang’s voice wavered as she walked closer to Ruby and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Ruby hugged Yang back just as tightly and then pulled away a few moments later.</p>
<p>“It’s okay. I was just trying to help. I’m not a kid anymore Yang, I can take care of you too. So please, just let me.” Ruby begged as Yang considered her offer. A few seconds later, Yang nodded with a small smile on her face. </p>
<p>“Okay. I’ll tell you. But it’s going to be a lot.” Yang replied solemnly as she stared at the floor. Ruby motioned for the two of them to sit down at the table, which they did a moment later. Ruby ran her fingers up and down Yang’s back as her sister relayed what was bothering her.</p>
<p>“I guess things have been getting worse over the past week or so. I don’t normally get phased by a friendly competition, but now it’s affecting our finances. Hardly anyone comes to our shop anymore except Weiss, and it doesn’t help that everyone absolutely hated the new orange bagel. We could go out of business! And on top of dealing with all of that, Blake won’t even talk to me anymore. I really messed up.” Yang rambled as she rubbed at her face and sighed.</p>
<p>“What happened with Blake?” Ruby asked in a very gentle tone as she continued to rub patterns into Yang’s back. </p>
<p>“She started talking about her past and I pushed her too far. I know that someone’s hurt her Rubes, I can tell every time I talk to her. And now she’s really upset with me.”</p>
<p>“Oh Yang...I’m sure that she’ll understand. You were just trying to be a good person, and I’m positive that she knows that. Why didn’t you tell me any of this sooner?”</p>
<p>“I’ve always been the one to pick up the pieces. I’m not used to opening up like this. I feel like I’ve almost forgotten. What it feels like to not have so much pressure to succeed all the time.” Yang admitted to Ruby, who could feel the emotional stress that her sister was experiencing. Ruby wrapped Yang in another hug, and Yang nuzzled against her sister’s neck while hugging her back.</p>
<p>“I don’t want Mom to be disappointed in me. Or Dad. Or anyone.” Yang trembled as she began to cry in Ruby’s arms. Ruby shushed Yang’s cries and whispered soothing words into her ear.</p>
<p>“Yang, I’m sure that if Mom were here, she’d be so proud of you. You’ve worked so hard, anyone can see that. Dad too. I know that it’s just the two of us, but I’ll <i>always</i> be here for you. I love you.” Ruby said while smiling at her sister who gazed up at her. Yang sniffled and smiled back at Ruby, wiping the tears off of her face.</p>
<p>“I love you too Rubes, now why don’t we get to work? We do have a competition to win after all.” Yang answered with a watery laugh as she stood up and trudged over to the kitchen, Ruby following right behind her.</p>
<p>“Yeah! Now that’s more like it! We’re gonna make the best bagel ever!” Ruby chanted as she skipped around the kitchen and raised her fist into the air. Yang smiled at her sister’s antics and got to work, truly happy to have such a loving sister.</p>
<p>Things were finally looking up.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! special thanks to @Kuroshiro_kun for being my beta reader and a great friend even when i’m crying like a baby. i’d also like to give a special mention to the bumbleby big bang server, who helped give me the confidence to get back out there and keep writing this. i wouldn’t have posted this if it weren’t for you guys &lt;3</p>
<p>if you have any questions or comments you’d like to make, please leave a comment below. you can also follow me on tumblr @emocean-is-trash 😄 i appreciate all feedback and responses~ 💜💛</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ruby decides to take a drive to see an old friend of hers. Yang takes advantage of this opportunity to close down the shop and focus on making something spectacular. Because of this, Blake gets more customers than she was ready for.</p><p>Weiss ends up going to Blake’s shop when she sees that Yang’s isn’t open. She gets much more than a bagel that morning.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hey guys. i wanted to apologize for the lack of updates these past couple of days, i was grieving the loss of someone important to me. i wanted to step back from writing for a few days and give myself some time to rest and recuperate. but i'm good now! originally, this fic was supposed to end on april 30th, however what i'm going to do now is continue updating daily and extend the fic a few days into may. </p><p>anyway, today's chapter was a super fun one to write. do i see another ship appearing? 👀 we'll see 😏 thank you guys for being so understanding. hope you enjoy! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I drove all this way just for your place to be closed? I truly appreciate the lack of warning me.”</p><p>“Oh give it up Weiss, it was a last minute decision.” </p><p>“You still could’ve told me you oaf!” Weiss scoffed as she stood in the parking lot of Yang’s shop and continued to whine into her scroll.</p><p>“Chill out Ice Queen, I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. Rubes is too impulsive to plan around.” Yang laughed as she sipped on her cup of coffee while sitting at her desk. It was a relaxing morning and Yang had no reason to go into work yet, which she explained to Weiss as she continued to browse random websites on her computer. </p><p>Ruby had found out that Penny had a day off from her internship today, so she made the spontaneous choice to drive up to Atlas to visit her and stay the night. With Ruby out of the picture, there was no need for Yang to open the shop today, which explained why she was currently lazing around her apartment.</p><p>“Ugh, well what am I supposed to do now?” Weiss asked as she ran a hand over her slightly off center ponytail and squeezed her eyes shut in reluctance.</p><p>“I’m sure you can figure it out. Why not go to Blake’s shop? See what all the buzz is about.” Yang remarked while taking another sip of her coffee and absentmindedly spinning around in her chair. Weiss scoffed again and gazed over at the other shop in curiosity. </p><p>“Fine. But you should really take advantage of this time off. Weren’t you trying to make a new bagel?”</p><p>“Oh yeah, you’re totally right. I’ll leave in an hour. Have fun Ice Queen!” Yang stated, hanging up her scroll before Weiss could answer her taunts. </p><p>Weiss groaned and marched over to Blake’s place, determined to make the most out of her predicament. Before she entered the building, she smoothed out her clothes and made herself look more presentable. Even if Weiss preferred not to go anywhere other than Yang’s shop, at least she would look good while doing it. Weiss took a deep breath and opened the door, striding up to the counter confidently and perusing over the menu. A girl with red hair greeted her enthusiastically, and Weiss turned to her and smiled back.</p><p>“Hi there! What can I get you?”</p><p>“Hello Ilia. I’ll have a cinnamon raisin bagel please.” Weiss replied neutrally as she stared at her nails and tapped her foot on the ground. Ilia looked at her quizzically and tried to figure out how Weiss knew her name.</p><p>“Do I know you?”</p><p>“Not directly. Weiss Schnee, I’m a friend of Yang’s. She’s mentioned you before.” Weiss remarked as she outstretched her hand for Ilia to shake and looked her in the eyes. What she didn’t expect was for Ilia to grasp her hand gently and bring it towards her lips, kissing it lightly. Weiss’s cheeks immediately turned pink as she stared at the woman in shock.</p><p>“That’s good to know, because I’m sure that I would’ve remembered meeting a gorgeous woman like you. Ilia Amitola. Pleasure to meet you, snow angel.” Ilia smirked as Weiss withdrew her hand sharply to her side, totally speechless. </p><p>“Wha- I- What’s your motive?” Weiss asked skeptically with an eyebrow raised, trying to decipher why this woman was complimenting her so openly. She was used to being flirted with and charmed for business deals and other related reasons, but this woman didn’t seem to know her at all.</p><p>“Motive? You walked into my shop and you’re totally my type. Is that a good enough reason for you?” Ilia questioned as she began to grin cheekily. Weiss stammered in place as her cheeks turned bright red, unable to come up with something to say back. </p><p>“Anyway, I have more customers to deal with. We’ve had tons of people come in today. I’ll be back with your order in a bit.” Ilia said as she winked and walked into the kitchen, leaving Weiss to gawk at Ilia in silence. When Ilia did return a bit later, she handed a bag to Weiss and smiled at her warmly.</p><p>“Here’s your order. This one’s on the house. Hopefully we’ll meet again, Weiss.” Ilia stated sweetly, still smiling at Weiss as she walked as quickly as she could out of the shop. She got into her car a few moments later and crumpled in the front seat and groaned, frustrated at her inability to say anything in response to Ilia’s flirtatious remarks. When she finally got around to opening the bag, she saw a small slip of paper sitting in the bag along with what she ordered. Ilia had scrawled out her number with the words <i>‘Text me’</i> next to it and a smiley face. </p><p>Who did this woman think she was, flirting with Wess Schnee of all people? What gave her the right to embarrass Weiss so much?</p><p>And why was Weiss still blushing?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! special thanks to @Kuroshiro_kun for being my beta reader and always being there for me whenever i need it. i’d also like to give a special mention to the bumbleby big bang server, who helped give me the confidence to get back out there and keep writing this. i wouldn’t have posted this if it weren’t for you guys &lt;3</p><p>if you have any questions or comments you’d like to make, please leave a comment below. you can also follow me on tumblr @emocean-is-trash 😄 i appreciate all feedback and responses~ 💜💛</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>An unexpected letter arrives in the mail addressed to Blake, which she had been hoping would never come in the first place. With the arrival of the letter on top of the many customers Blake caters to throughout the day, the stress starts getting to her.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hey guys! today’s chapter was a doozy. unfortunately, i did plan for this one to have angst from the get go, and boy did it deliver. i really don’t like hurting the bees, but i feel that the angst was necessary in this chapter to set up for future chapters. </p>
<p>also, i just wanted to say a quick thank you for one thousand hits on this story. it took a lot of effort for me to get into posting my work again, but you all have seemed to enjoy it. your comments light up my days and keep me motivated to keep writing. thank you so much for reading, and i hope you enjoy!! 💜💛</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blake sighed as she rubbed at her temples and took a few deep breaths. It had been a few hours since the morning rush had ended and Blake was feeling extremely overwhelmed. There was a constant stream of customers throughout the entire day, even more so than usual. Blake could hardly keep up with the large number of people who continued to flood the establishment hour after hour. She could feel her anxiety spiking, which was especially evident since her cat ears constantly stayed alert on the top of her head and never relaxed. Because of this, Blake decided to step out of the back of the building for a minute and collect their mail. It was a much better choice than pacing around the shop endlessly. </p>
<p>She returned inside a few moments later with a sizable amount of mail in her arms. She started to flip through it as she walked into the back room, throwing away several subscription magazines that they’d never even signed up for. </p>
<p>While she continued going through what needed to be opened or discarded, Blake decided that she wanted to make herself a cup of tea to lessen her anxious mood. She grabbed a box of jasmine infused tea and grabbed the number of tea bags she needed, placing them in her teapot and going to fill it with water. As she was doing so, Blake came across a letter that was addressed to her. Curious, she set the teapot under the faucet and filled it up. </p>
<p>There was no return address on the letter, and all it had written on the front was her first name, Blake. She grabbed the teapot from under the faucet and began to walk back to the table while reading the letter. As soon as Blake finished skimming its contents, a large crash could be heard from the back room along with a terrified scream.</p>
<p>“Excuse me, I need to check on something.” Ilia pardoned herself from the customer she was attending to and sprinted towards the back room, where she found Blake trembling in place with a broken teapot scattered around her feet. Clutched weakly in her right hand was a piece of paper, which Ilia noticed as Blake whimpered in fright. </p>
<p>“Shit!” Ilia muttered at Blake’s panicked state and rushed to grab some paper towels, which she used to clean the water spill and pick up the large porcelain shards from the floor. Blake remained in the same spot, seemingly unable to interact with her surroundings. She was definitely having a panic attack, and Ilia needed to pull her out of it fast.</p>
<p>“Hey Blake? Can you hear me?” Ilia sighed in relief as Blake nodded her head ever so slightly, her eyes squeezed shut and her eyebrows scrunched together as tears ran down her face. </p>
<p>“Alright Blake, can you tell me what color my eyes are right now?” Ilia whispered as she rubbed patterns into Blake’s back and kept another hand rested on her shoulder. Blake opened her eyes meekly and gazed at Ilia vulnerably. </p>
<p>“G-Green.”</p>
<p>“Good, Blake. Now...what does that mean?”</p>
<p>Blake took in a weak inhale and tried to rack her brain and remember.</p>
<p>“Worried. You’re worried.”</p>
<p>“Yep, got it in one. You’re doing great.” Ilia reassured while continuing to rub Blake’s back with her fingers gently. “What room are we standing in right now?”</p>
<p>Blake’s eyes darted around the room and tried to focus on her surroundings long enough to process where she was.</p>
<p>“Th-The break room.”</p>
<p>Ilia continued asking Blake questions about their surroundings until Blake’s body finally stopped trembling and she began to lean on Ilia for support. Ilia sat her down in the nearest chair and removed the sheet of paper from Blake’s hand, reading over it to figure out what caused Blake to spiral so much.</p>
<p>
  <i>My Love,</i><br/>Did you really think that you could hide from me? I’ll always find you sweetheart.<br/>-A
</p>
<p>Of course he had found her. There was no other reasonable explanation as to why Blake would’ve had a panic attack so suddenly. Ilia sat down next to Blake and gently rubbed at her cat ears, which finally caused them to move from their flattened state to a relaxed position on her head. Blake sighed at the motion and rested her head against Ilia’s shoulder, closing her eyes and steadying her breathing.</p>
<p>“I...I didn’t think he’d find me so soon. I thought I had more time. To prepare.” Blake mumbled as she drifted off into slumber, her body clearly overwhelmed from the stress it just went through. Ilia shushed Blake’s words and allowed her to rest, draping a blanket over Blake’s sleeping form that they kept in the closet. She walked back out to the front to tell the customer that the shop would be closed for the rest of the day; Blake really needed some time to unwind after the day that she’d had. When she returned back to Blake’s side to stay with her as she slept, she whispered some reassurances into Blake’s ear and kept an eye on her.</p>
<p>
  <i>‘Don’t worry Blake. I won’t let anything happen to you.’</i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! special thanks to @Kuroshiro_kun for being my beta reader and dealing with me waking you up at absurd hours to edit something. i’d also like to give a special mention to the bumbleby big bang server, who helped give me the confidence to get back out there and keep writing this. i wouldn’t have posted this if it weren’t for you guys &lt;3</p>
<p>if you have any questions or comments you’d like to make, please leave a comment below. you can also follow me on tumblr @emocean-is-trash 😄 i appreciate all feedback and responses~ 💜💛</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Yang goes to text Blake a few nights later, she can tell that something is off. After a few days of Weiss changing her usual morning routine, she decides to ask Yang for advice.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i’d like to give a warning to all readers that half of this chapter is unfortunately texting, which melted my brain during the process of writing it. the other half has some lovely teasing from Yang to Weiss, and i enjoyed writing that part at least 😓 anyway, hope you enjoy! 💛</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yang and Ruby trudged into their apartment after a long day of work. Ruby immediately raced for the couch and plopped onto it in an exaggerated pose, and Zwei jumped up onto the furniture to lick her face. They tousled around for a bit as Yang kicked off her shoes in the doorway and gingerly walked to her bedroom. </p>
<p>Yang’s room was moderately clean, but not very organized. Her bed was left unmade and her closet was a disaster, but besides that she kept things as tidy as she could with her limited time spent at home. Her desk was filled with random trinkets that Ruby had made when she was younger and her walls had old pictures that brought up memories Yang would sometimes rather forget. </p>
<p>Just one look at a picture with herself and her mother filled her mind with remnants of the past. The smell of fresh roses and cookies flooding her nostrils, the tingle of newly mowed grass under her bare toes, the feeling of being young and hopeful. Reminiscing too much on what once was her normal took a pretty big toll on Yang. She snapped out of her trance and pulled out her scroll, checking her socials absentmindedly until she was rather bored. She decided to send Blake a text; after all, it was always entertaining to see how she would reply.</p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [9:54pm] heyyy blake,, how r u? :)</p>
<p>Yang raised her eyebrow when she received a cold response a few minutes later.</p>
<p>To Yang [9:57pm] I’m fine. Is there something you need?</p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [9:58pm] nahhh i’m good ^_^<br/>
Yang Xiao Long [9:58pm] u don’t seem good tho ~.~<br/>
Yang Xiao Long [9:58pm] is thre smthing on ur mind?? </p>
<p>To Yang [10:02pm] It’s nothing. Even if it was something, why would I bother telling you?</p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [10:04pm] aww blakey ;-;<br/>
Yang Xiao Long [10:04pm] ur my friend!!<br/>
Yang Xiao Long [10:05pm] u cn tell me nything!</p>
<p>To Yang [10:10pm] Blakey?</p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [10:12pm] oh srry...typo :/<br/>
Yang Xiao Long [10:12pm] i’m gonna call u blakey from now on :D</p>
<p>To Yang [10:13pm] Absolutely not. Also, you are not my friend.</p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [10:14pm] 2 late blakey! ur stuck wth me! :)</p>
<p>To Yang [10:17pm] You’re insufferable.</p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [10:17pm] ok, u mite b onto smething there;;<br/>
Yang Xiao Long [10:17pm] altho...at least i’m cheering u up!</p>
<p>To Yang [10:23pm] …<br/>
To Yang [10:25pm] Okay fine, you have been a nice distraction. Thank you.</p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [10:26pm] ofc!!<br/>
Yang Xiao Long [10:26pm] every1 needs 2 b lifted up sometimes ^_^</p>
<p>To Yang [10:28pm] Well I appreciate it. Despite how annoying you are, you’re not terrible all the time.</p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [10:30pm] woah!!!<br/>
Yang Xiao Long [10:31pm] is tht a compliment from teh legendary blake belladonna??<br/>
Yang Xiao Long [10:31pm] it must b my lucky day! :D</p>
<p>To Yang [10:34pm] I don’t know why I even bother. Anyhow, I’m going to bed. Goodnight Yang.</p>
<p>Yang Xiao Long [10:36pm] o, ok!<br/>
Yang Xiao Long [10:36pm] gnyt blakey!! &lt;3</p>
<p>Yang’s eyebrows scrunched together as she pondered over the tone of Blake’s messages. She was clearly struggling with something, and Yang wanted to know what it was. The problem was that the last time that Yang tried to push Blake for more information, she ended up making Blake despise her. </p>
<p>Yang snapped her fingers and sat up straight as an idea popped into her head. As she started writing her idea in her notes section of her scroll so that she wouldn’t forget, her scroll started vibrating. She picked it up and laughed when Weiss was the one calling her.</p>
<p>“Y’ello! This is Yang speaking!”</p>
<p>“Yang, I need your help.”</p>
<p>“What? The Ice Queen needs my help with something? This is monumental!” Yang gasped dramatically and placed her hand on her chest. Weiss scowled at Yang’s mocking tone and crossed her arms.</p>
<p>“Oh shut up. This is important.”</p>
<p>“What do you need?”</p>
<p>There was a long pause on the other line. When Weiss finally spoke up again, Yang could barely pick up on her rapid mumbling.</p>
<p>“How do I ask a girl on a date?”</p>
<p>“What? You’re gonna need to speak up.” Yang tried not to chuckle under her breath as she waited impatiently for Weiss to die of embarrassment again.</p>
<p>“You know what I said! Just tell me what I need to do!” Weiss begged with an indignant huff, her face turning bright red. </p>
<p>“Okay chill out! I’ll help you. You’re such a useless lesbian.” </p>
<p>“Excuse me?”</p>
<p>“A useless lesbian? You know, those girls that act all high and mighty but then when a girl talks to them they die on the spot?”</p>
<p>Weiss wasn’t able to get in another word before Yang started cackling into her scroll.</p>
<p>“I get it okay? Just...Come on Yang. You know that I must be desperate if I’m asking you of all people for help with something.”</p>
<p>“Ouch! That one stung. Fine, I’ll forgive you just this once. How’d you meet her anyway?” </p>
<p>Weiss spent the next few minutes explaining how she met Ilia and how she could hardly ever bring herself to speak to the woman. She had changed her morning routine to buy a bagel from Blake’s shop even after she had already bought one from Yang as well, just to see Ilia again. Yang laughed loudly at this and gave Weiss the advice she seeked. They continued to talk for an hour or so until Weiss finally hung up her scroll and Yang went to sleep.</p>
<p>She had no idea what was going to be in store the next day.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! special thanks to @Kuroshiro_kun for being my beta reader and giving himself a headache from my plentiful typos. i’d also like to give a special mention to the bumbleby big bang server, who helped give me the confidence to get back out there and keep writing this. i wouldn’t have posted this if it weren’t for you guys &lt;3</p>
<p>if you have any questions or comments you’d like to make, please leave a comment below. you can also follow me on tumblr @emocean-is-trash 😄 i appreciate all feedback and responses~ 💜💛</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>